little eve

Close encounters of the Cadillac kind

2011-02-14T17:44:00.000+11:00

This weekend I had my first encounter with a Cadillac (1960 model) and what an impressive car it is! I'm definitely not a car person, but this is more than a car. The length of 2 small cars, impeccably finished and stylish . . I couldn't take my eyes of it!

Look at the size of that boot

Shame the photos make it look so much smaller, it's vast.

Now I know what the fuss is all about. They certainly don't make them like they used to.

Merry Christmas 2010!

2010-12-24T17:50:00.000+11:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Wishing you happiness, laughter and love over Christmas. xx

Kitty Love!

2010-11-17T23:03:00.000+11:00

We're all besotted by the new kitten my husband brought home on Tuesday. What a little ray of sunshine he is and such a little mischief.

He wasn't sure about moving in with us at first . . . a bit shy. But you should see him now! It didn't take him long to settle in and get the lay of the land. He thinks he's king of the castle now. You could watch him all day and get nothing done!

And then when he curls up for a sleep it makes you want to do the same thing.

maybe not in the same spot though!

He's great for the kids who are totally in love with him. He's a British Shorthair like Ollie our other 3yr old male (who by the way is a bit wary of the new youngster). Any suggestions for a name? He could be a fluffy, Theodore or Teddy so far, but the floor's still open if you've got any ideas. x

My Creative Space - a dress

2010-10-21T15:04:00.000+11:00

It's been on my to do list for a while . . . 'make a dress for Sarah'. I unexpectedly found myself in Spotlight last Friday evening browsing through the pattern books and before I knew it found the perfect dress (Burda7798). Choosing the fabric took me longer! I'm awful at making up my mind, I think it's because there are so many possibilities. Glad to report I chose a fabric which was $12.95 reduced to $5.00 - a nice surprise at the checkout :)

I'm used to making it up as I go along, so it was interesting following a pattern and it taught me so much. Now I know how to do darts, attach those little cap sleeves . . . and most importantly to read the pattern many times before doing anything!

I'm happy to report she loves it too.

Hop over to here for more creative spaces. xx

In full bloom!

2010-10-14T13:32:00.000+11:00

We squeezed in a trip to the Tulip Festival in Silvan before the kids started back to school on Monday. It's actually very easy for us . . just a 5min drive up the road and we're there! No chorus of 'are we nearly there yet' from the back seat of the car!

So here's some of the day in photos . . .

A lovely day and very pretty indeed!

My Creative Space 'an apron'

2010-10-07T13:04:00.000+11:00

Here she is, my latest addition to Little Eve. She's called Daisy Blue and is a sturdy little number with wide double white cotton ties at the neck and waist.

I love daisies and this is a very sweet fabric that reminds me of a meadow full of daisies (albeit navy ones!). I've added the ricracs to highlight the pretty marriage of navy and yellow in the fabric, and prettied up the bottom hem with some white lace.

My children are enjoying their final week of school holidays! It's been lovely to spend real time with them, unharrassed by the urgency of time and committments. This is the last primary school holiday time for my daughter, so it's pretty special to get this time together. She's turning into a young women right before my eyes!

The boys plan on rebuilding a shelter (blown down by strong winds late yesterday) in the last couple of days at home. I relish the times when they work together on such a major construction - it's very serious stuff. Tomas is the boss and Sean is his eager apprentice!

Lots of creative spaces here!

Loving the holidays!

2010-09-27T21:37:00.001+10:00

Not much blogging done lately! Just hanging out with the kids,

walking to the park and honing the basketball skills (Tomas' new favourite thing to do),

Sean's not quite tall enough and never makes the hoop, but gets 10 points for never giving up! At least he brought his bike :)

Puppet making at the local Community Centre,

Musical chairs at a friend's birthday party . . . what fun!

My daughter getting pampered with a friend at the Beauty Parlour, if you don't mind :)

Relaxing at home sweet home . . amid the paper trail left by little people.

And soaking up the sunshine when it finally comes out.

What's not to love?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T15:05:00.000+10:00

More Wordless Wednesday here!

Morning Monday!

2010-09-13T11:38:00.001+10:00

It's Monday morning and can you believe it's raining again. No, I'm not really complaining . . . I know we really need the rain. But I am looking forward to some real Spring weather. A bit more warmth please!

And another thing . . . . I'm really looking forward to having no kids at home sick. They're all taking turns the poor things. I've been pretty housebound nursing them all back to health, chopping up oranges, picking up tissues etc, and cabin fever is taking hold of me.

School holiday's next week! Yipee! Maybe we'll all drive up the road to the Tulip Festival. That'll be just the tonic! It's beautiful there with row upon row of flowers in all colours . . .

Better go check out the dates! Have a wonderful week y'all! x

Spring!

2010-08-31T22:29:00.000+10:00

Just when I thought Winter was going to last forever, here's Spring! My favourite

time of the year. Full of lambs, blossoms, more light, children laughing and playing outside and a general all round cheeriness in the air!

a very cute lamb photo taken on the prep school farm excursion a couple of weeks ago,

baby goats that were super soft,

my little lamb milking a cow,

and learning all about the farm.

I hope the changing season puts a spring back in your step too! x

The book, the movie & the cup?

2010-08-24T17:49:00.001+10:00

You might have guessed that I love the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (1818 - 1848). The moors, the tragic love between Catherine and Heathcliff, the romantic language . . .

"It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff, now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same . . . "

I have read my very special, dog-eared copy of the book many times and watched the movie more than a few,

and now look,

I can drink my tea from it too!

I love it!

What's your favourite book/movie?

My Creative Space

2010-08-12T00:01:00.000+10:00

It's lovely and very thrilling when your creative endeavours get noticed.

Some of my creations, I am proud to say, have been included in my favourite magazine (which makes it all the more special!). They're in the Home Life section of the Sept edition of Notebook Magazine, in the 'Kiss from a rose' article. I'm more than excited to see,my cushions alongside some Laura Ashley loveliness!

Here's the pic on Pg 108 . . . . .

The Blue Rose cushion cover draped over the lid of the suitcase and my Mint Rose Cushion is in the middle at the front.

Thank you to the very talented Marie Nichols who styled these photos. If you haven't bought a copy i'd recommend snapping one up as the rest of the photos are so very pretty and inspiring as we draw nearer to Spring.

For more creative stories visit here . . . have fun!

My Creative Space

2010-08-05T12:57:00.000+10:00

Just a wee gift for a friend. She asked me if i'd make her one of those socks to hang in the kitchen, for putting plastic bags in. So here it is . . .

My blog is totally misbehaving and turning these photos on their side. So i'm afraid you'll have to tilt your head to the right!

I love hanging hearts and have several on door knobs around my house, so i thought i'd give her this matching heart too.

Finally, since i was on a roll, i made this ribbon tie bag for my daughter so she has something to carry her piano music in on Fridays.
To show and tell your creative goodies visit here! Say hi before you go . . . Bye! x

Thanks Kidstyle File!

2010-08-04T12:59:00.000+10:00

Thank you to KidStyleFile Blog for featuring my Rose Dot Todder Apron on your 'I made this' post today! It's lovely to be noticed. x

Great weather for ducks!

2010-08-02T14:09:00.001+10:00

I love ducks!

This morning I woke up to a treat. It poured and poured rain last night making for a big pond at the fenceline in our garden. So we had some cute visitors . . . .

I quickly brought His Royal Furriness inside when I saw him crouching down low in the grass in a stalkerish fashion . . . . naughty puss!

The sun is shining now . . . well it is Melbourne after all!

I hope you're week is off to a great start whatever the weather. x

Lovely day!

2010-07-28T12:40:00.001+10:00

This morning has been beautiful, sunny and spent in the warm company of a lovely girlfriend over a coffee. And how great to come home and continue feeling great after checking my mail. I got an email from Amanda of Style Collective online magazine, letting me know about an article she has included on Little Eve.

It's a very flattering report indeed, so thanks Amanda I really appreciate it.

Hope you're having a lovely day too.

Time Flies!

2010-07-27T10:39:00.000+10:00

Goodness, I haven't been around my blog for a while. The kids had a 3 week break from school, so I kinda slowed down and had a lovely time doing it.

Over the break my beautiful daughter had her 12th birthday! So I got to give her the quilt, which she's very happy with (me too) and some tickets to see Mary Poppins!

It's always a proud day on your child's birthday and I'm so proud of Sarah who's shaping up to be a beautiful person with a good head on her shoulders and a good heart too. xxx

Last night I attended an info evening at the school about a 6 week programme the Year 6 girls will be doing. It's called 'Empowering Girls' and I just know it's going to be a great foundation for her to help with the upcoming teenage years. How great to identify different behaviours in yourself and others and learn some skills to cope with them in a positive way.

Time for a cuppa and a blog browse. xx

Back home & Giveaway Winner!

2010-07-09T11:33:00.000+10:00

We're back in Melbourne after a lovely holiday in Adelaide! The weather was fantastic, just the way I like it. Not too hot and not too cold and the sun was shining brightly the whole time.

my children with their cousin and Aunty behind them

Those are some seriously cute ears!

No sooner had we arrived than we were back on the plane home. The time just flew by! My sister has been doing a fantastic job of increasing her fitness over the past few months. So I wasn't allowed to leave without joining her in a climb of Mt Lofty. I haven't done anything too strenuous for a while, so it was somewhat of a challenge! I was laughing at the people who were running up the mountain? Crazy! But I did it and it was really worth it . . .

The view beyond Adelaide to the Ocean

beautiful waterfalls on the way up

Everyone is so friendly in Adelaide and we had a few chats to the locals on the way up too.

While we were holidaying in Adelaide my sister was honeymooning with her husband in Germany! Here's a photo of the happy couple,

Aren't they gorgeous! Mr and Mrs Child. Lois looks very chic and beautiful.

Giveaway Winner
Drum Roll Please . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Taking home the Apron and Alice Bag is the lovely . .

Cat of Wouldn't it Be Loverly Blog!

(congratulations! email me at cathy.toal@yahoo.com.au with your postal address)

Thank you to everyone who entered, better luck next time!
Have a great weekend everyone!

Adelaide v N Ireland

2010-07-02T13:28:00.001+10:00

So we're (i'm) washing, cleaning (i don't like to come home to housework after a holiday) and packing for our wee trip to the great metropolis of Adelaide! We're going to visit my sister, nephew and brother-in-law and plan on visiting the zoo to see the new pandas too. Looking forward to that!

If i had a few extra thousand $$$ tucked away though, i'd be in Northern Ireland visiting my other sister (no offence big sis!) as she's getting married! Today at 2pm in Ballyclare (they're 9 hours behind us so she's tucked up in bed while i'm writing this).

We'll be thinking of you and toasting to your happiness together! I can't wait to see the photos and one day to go back and visit 'Mr and Mrs Child'. It's all very exciting!

We'll be back next Wed, so on Thursday i'll be announcing the winner of my giveaway! (check out the right column for a link)

Enjoy your weekend and school holidays too!

My Creative Space . .Progress!

2010-06-24T13:20:00.003+10:00

I'm feeling very happy with myself this week.

Last Thursday's 'myc' i showed you some fabrics that i was hoping to (very quickly!) turn into a quilt for my daughter's birthday on 14 July. Well i went at the task all guns blazing and here's where i'm at with it . . . .

The photos aren't great, it's alot brighter in real-life!

Just the binding to buy and do now, which will have to be done when little Miss T is safely tucked up in her bed each night.

She's been a busy girl herself. Take a look, she took these before and after shots herself . . . .

Very heart-warming for a mother to see!

Does anyone else get a buzz out of seeing a female Governor General, swearing in our new female Prime Minister today!! What an historical event! I wish you luck Miss Gillard.

Thanks for hosting MCS Kirsty.

Storage Bag Anyone?

2010-06-22T13:38:00.000+10:00

Good day to you all!

I've just popped a couple of these very useful fabric bags into my Bigcartel shop.

They're great for carrying your craft project around, as a book bag, or for storing various items such as shoes or small toys.

Now i'm off for a coffee and a blog browse, bye!

My Creative Space . . at last!?

2010-06-17T10:25:00.007+10:00

At last i have some time to think . . .

. . . lots of sick days off for the kids last week.

It's great to have some time alone to ponder fabrics and purchase a few too.

And i'm pretty happy with this line-up for my girl's quilt.

Do you think i can get it together for her 12th birthday (14th July)? Yeh, i have my doubts too!

I'm not going for Gold, just a simple, but pretty, throw-size affair.

What was that i said about time alone? I wrote that yesterday and woke to my 6yr old boy and an allergy rash on his face. Maybe he can help me with the quilt? Yeh, i have my doubts about that one too!

I bought some fleecy fabric to make the boys a blanket each, one blue and one red. They're a cosy addition to their beds for the cold Winter nights and super simple as i just cut the ends to look like, am . . shark's teeth?

What are you up to today?
(My Giveaway Here!)
&
Thanks Kirsty for my Thursday dose of inspiration!

Giveaway still open

2010-06-15T10:30:00.000+10:00

In case you missed it the first time, this is a reminder that my Giveaway is still open here.

Good luck and have a great week!

My creative space - living in the early 1900s

2010-06-10T14:23:00.008+10:00

I've been immersing myself in the early 1900s, and earlier, all week and in so doing have created a map of my family history! I found soooo much information and one thing leads to the next!

I'm soooo excited about this! Lots of questions i've had for years have been answered by simply going online and researching.

Stories of my Gt Grandad working on the Titanic (the building of) true, he was an Iron Moulder. About how he was an American and something about a Scottish connection (I discovered his Irish parents moved to the US and he was born there, and his sister, before the family moved to Scotland and had a bunch more kids, some of who stayed in Scotland, but my Gt Grandfather eventually moved back to Ireland. Phew!!

the worker's leaving the shipyard in Belfast after a day's work on the Titanic, you can see it in the background - my Gt Grandad maybe somewhere in the crowd (William Templeton in the Census link below)

(sourced from the internet)

It took alot of hours and dead end trails ie Ancestry.com, which is no good for Irish research.
But then . . . . . success! I found the National Archives of Ireland and was able to call up Census documents of 1901 and 1911.

To cut a long story short, I traced right back to my Great, Great, Great Grandfather

I've been able to print the documents out and save them to my computer, but sadly been unable to download them to my blog. Frustration!! So here are a couple of links (chosen from about 20!)

Here are my Gt Grandparents and a whole bunch of kids living in Belfast April 1911! - you'll need to take it up to 75% to read details,

and,

My other Gt Grandparents, (my maiden name is Ewart) and how I discovered my other Gt Grandfather's name Valentine Jackson (hurray!) and profession - Linen Weaver.

I highly recommend doing this for yourself. I found so much out about my family and found a new appreciation for what we women today have - freedom to vote, more food, and more importanly, access to birth control (my other Gt Granny in Co Limerick was 48 when she had her youngest, my granny!)

Pop below for my giveaway - then pop over to Kootoyoo for more stories!

Giving pretty things away!

2010-06-08T11:02:00.002+10:00

I'm happy to say that i'm going to give these pretty things below away!

An Alice Apron 4-9yrs!

and,

an Alice Bag!

If you like the look of these goodies (both of which are currently in my madeit store) and would like to enter the draw,

simply

click on 'Like' for my Little Eve Facebook Page on the right here and leave your name (with a link to contact you) in my comments below. Easy, peasy!

(Feel free to post a link and photos for this giveaway if you like)

Winner to be drawn in approx 2 weeks. Thanks!

My Creative Space

2010-06-03T12:30:00.001+10:00

I love Thursdays! I get to help the Preps in the morning and hear all the cute things they say eg did you know that there's no such thing as magic and that your mum is really the tooth fairy! What a wee cynic!

and,

to join in with all the lovely girls who post for Kirsty's 'my creative space' (thanks Kirsty!)

So i've been busy making more of my 'Ribbon Tie Bags' this week. The idea is to keep your bits and pieces, whatever they may be, in a pretty, take anywhere, fabric bag. I've put one in the shop and hope to put more in soon. Here's a collection ready to go . . .

And with the chilly weather at our doorsteps i've been thinking alot about making a quilt. The last time i made one was about five years ago. Like alot of projects, it took a while to finish. But i love the finished quilt. It's to be a keepsake for my daughter as it has her written all over it . . . literally!

a fabric pen and some white cotton panels and a heart,

I love to finsh a quilts with cotton ties/knots. It can be done at a relaxed pace without the machine.

This is our queen size bed with the only big quilt i've ever made . . it's also finished with ties. I love white cotton in a quilt. I think it gives it an old-fashioned feel and a freshness at the same time.

Thanks for stopping by!

More creative spaces here!

My Creative Space - a weekend away

2010-05-27T11:57:00.000+10:00

No stitches, fabric, wool or funny little crochet needles here this week . . .

instead, this i got creative with my camera.

I had very willing subjects who happily took part in our weekend adventure at Apollo Bay . . .

the kids got busy creating in the sand,

while i took in the view,

A highlight was our visit to Cape Ottway Lighthouse,

it's an amazing feeling to look out at the ocean from the top,

Thank you to my husband for a beautiful, surprise weekend and 20 good years of love and marriage.

(for a wonderful variety of creative spaces visit Kootoyoo)

my creative space

2010-05-20T12:51:00.000+10:00

Yesterday my lovely friend Lil very kindly gave me and my chilren some delicious afternoon tea and a lesson in crocheting. Well, it's a bit tricky and i can see i'm going to need lots of practice . . .

I have nothing to show yet . . . . i'm still at the attempt, rip-it-out and try again stage! (i think i need another lesson!). I did make this pretty bag to keep my new needles and wool in though . .

I have much respect for those of you that are adept with these cute little needles. I look forward to the day when i'm not all thumbs!

For more creative spaces pop over to Kootoyoo.

Post to Post

2010-05-18T14:26:00.000+10:00

On this crisp, cool and sunny Melbourne day i've been busy popping this wee Blue Alice Apron in the post . . . .i'd love to be a fly on the wall when the birthday girl opens it . . .

and posting this plump, cushion . . . .

in my Madeit store.

What have you been up to today?

Sensational!

2010-05-12T13:22:00.000+10:00

How lovely to be included as part of the 'Sensational Six' on the Handmade Cooperative shopping 4 kids blog! My Rose Dot Half-Apron has been included in a group of handmade items starting with 'A'. Thanks Dianne, you have a wonderful blog devoted to promoting crafters who love to create unique handmade items for kids.

I feel a giveaway coming on soon, within the next couple of weeks i'd so . . , so stay tuned!

My week at the Show!

2010-05-11T11:19:00.000+10:00

Well, it's been a very interesting week indeed . . . as well as exciting, social (mingling with other humans makes a change from talking to myself or the sewing machine all day!), confidence building and in the end . . exhausting!

I've had a day to rest up, so time to share some photos ..

the kids dropped by on Saturday for a lesson in Japanese braiding - lovely Trish of Trishalan Designs is giving Sarah a refresher here,

my place for the week (tricky to get a good shot with the bedazzling spotlight)

Julie of Ruby Rose Designs - very pretty designs,

Yardage design - by the very lovely Nic

my neighbour for the week - clever designer Jen of Red Parka Designs

Restored furniture beautifully done by Jacqui of Reissued

the friendly girls of IMOK and Two Cheese Please (thanks for the breaks Catherine!)

Pauline of Funky Friends Factory

So many talented people there! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello and take home a little something from Little Eve. I had the pleasure of meeting some blogger friends (hi Cat), some had stalls and some visiting the show (thanks for the cupcake Cathie! lucky me!) and old friends stopped to say hi too (hi Fi).

All in all a wonderful experience.

Showtime!

2010-05-03T15:04:00.000+10:00

Well, it's been busy here . . . florals, spots, ribbons, zippers and even buttons everywhere!

I'm bracing myself for a busy week ahead. It should be an interesting week with lots of new people to meet and craft to see. I'll take my camera and report back to base after so you can see for yourself.

See you all after!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T10:22:00.000+10:00

More of Wordless Wednesday here

my creative space

2010-04-22T12:01:00.000+10:00

Hi all! you could fall into my creative space this week and land very comfortably as i've been having fun running up some cushions . .

i love a good cushion or two!

how they add instant colour to a room and add warmth and cosiness whereever they go.

Pop over to Kootoyo for a look at more creative spaces and be inspired.

My Creative Space

2010-04-15T11:44:00.001+10:00

I've been busy with the oil cloth i bought before and made a collection of pouches . . .

they're part of my entourage for the Melbourne stitches & craft show . . . maybe i'll get to meet some of you there if you're coming for a visit?

and some yoyos i've been having fun making . . . i think they're very pretty little things. I love my new ball of twine . . just wanted it because of the gorgeous grape colour . . . maybe i'll use it to wrap things . . but for now i'll enjoy catching glimpses of her sitting on my table, (it's the simple things in life that give us pleasure, isn't it).

For a wide variety of creative space take a visit here

Birthday Boys!

2010-04-13T11:48:00.000+10:00

When two gorgeous boys have a birthday in the same month, well, it can get pretty busy.

A trip to the Zoo was lots of fun! The weather was perfect too . .

and dinner at Bistro Vite in the city . . . what a real treat after so much walking.

my wee smunchkins are growing up so fast

Sean is now six,

And Tomas 9,

Do you see how i strategically positioned the yellow candle under the 'C' . . . not a good idea, not very well thought through!

Here's to another wonderful year of being your mum . . . can the next one go a bit slower though! XOXOXO

My Creative Space

2010-04-01T14:17:00.005+11:00

What a relaxing few days i've had with the kids. We've been playing cards, scrabble and watching movies. We even pitched a tent out the back of the house which has been lots of fun! I've also discovered the joy of yoyo making . . . . lots of fun!

And a big, lovely surprise! I ordered fabric from the US, at the end of January, and today it arrived! Out of the blue? After alot of enquiries and no real answer i'd totally given up on it. So it's a real bonus for me with the Melbourne Stitches and Craft show upon me soon.

I have a hitch with importing photos from my computer?? (see edit)

For more creative space, with photos, head over to kootoyoo
Happy Easter!

Edit - yeah! here's the photo of my new fabric

Splashing out!

2010-03-23T23:24:00.001+11:00

I've had this in mind for a few months now . . . the lettering and the sweet polka-dot heart. So it was high time I splashed out on a logo for Little Eve . . .

I'm glad I did because I really love it!

What do you think?

My Creative Space

2010-03-18T11:20:00.000+11:00

Who loves jelly? in our house Thursday has officially become Jellyday . . . so as we happily work our way through the vast selection of flavours, and there are alot, today it's Mango's turn . .

amazing how something so simple, cheap and easy to make, brings so much happiness the their tired wee Thursday faces!

Some other shiny things in my world today are these lovelies . . .

Aren't they pretty . . . red oil-cloth and pink laminated polka-dot cotton,

Let us glimpse into your creative space here

Photobooth Fun!

2010-03-13T15:47:00.000+11:00

I remember doing this as a teenager with my best friend on a trip to London . . i still have that photo in my purse. While noseying around some blogs last night, i happened upon a fabulous post about this website 'La Photocabine'. I couldn't resist having some fun too!

The kids loved it . . . go on over there and have some fun yourself too . . . it'll make you smile!

not happy Jan

2010-03-12T13:15:00.001+11:00

Jan started playing up again . . . complained i was working her way too hard. She started threatening me with strikes, even staged a few! I pleaded for her to co-operate, and guess what she did . . . bit down on a just finished Alice Apron! She wouldn't let go!

she looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth (if she had one), but don't be fooled!

I told her i'd never be a Showgirl with her on my team . . . it takes hard work and dedication for that. So she got the sack, kicked off the team (till she gets over herself at least)

i've got a wholly more reliable employee now, with a much better attitude altogether! a bit camera shy, more of a behind the scenes man. He's such a joy to work with . . . looks like i'll be a Showgirl afterall! (Stitches and Craft in Melbourne that is).

Here comes the bride

2010-03-06T23:53:00.001+11:00

I had alot of fun today dressing my daughter up as a bride for a 'b' theme birthday party . . .

she looked so, so pretty! and what a lovely time she had,

as for me,

i got soaked to the skin when i got home with the shopping . . . not so pretty!

Cozy now though . . and hope you're the same x

my garden

2010-03-02T22:40:00.000+11:00

I'm not much of a gardener . . my experience in this department is very limited. It's my dream to have a flourishing veggie patch, and soon I hope!

I've got lovely memories of my Grandad Paddy working in his garden in Tarbert, Co Kerry. He grew potatoes, cabbages, leeks, carrots etc, and had a big gooseberry bush too.

Bacon, cabbage and potatoes were their staple diet (supplemented by whiskey, nicotine and the black lady with the white hair - Guiness!), and Kitty my Granny used to make these basic ingredients taste and smell soo good. This could be because those were the days before anyone ever heard the word 'cholesterol', so the sky was the limit on fat content!

So until I can harvest my own veggies like Paddy and Kitty, I'll settle for enjoying my fool-proof Australian native plants. They're very pretty and attract even prettier butterflies and birds.

The boys love the great outdoors! and love to watch things grow . . and of course any gruesome find like an unidentified bone. Something to chat about over a glass of milk before they grab the footy ball.

Lovely surprise

2010-02-27T19:17:00.000+11:00

Isn't it always a lovely surprise to find a photo of your creation on someone else's blog. I had that pleasure when browsing around tonight and came across a photo of my Alice Apron on Ank Bowtique's blog, along with some more Alice in Wonderland inspired creations. Thanks for sharing! xx

My Creative Space

2010-02-25T16:44:00.000+11:00

I hope you're all having a wonderfully creative week. I've been busy designing and cutting fabric while waiting patiently for my new blog template to magically appear from cyberspace. So that's what my creative space is today . . . my newly chosen template!

I'm very pleased with it. I think it looks very fresh and a perfect place for me and Little Eve.
What do you think?

Have a look at some other creative spaces and play along here.

Please Read

2010-02-23T00:05:00.000+11:00

Here's a link to a very important story, told by a very brave woman fighting for survival after a diagnosis with ovarian cancer.
Reading Mel's story left me speechless, aswell as alot more informed. It also helped me re-evaluate life's priorities, which often get so out of whack.
So take a few minutes to visit Mel's blog and give her your support.

All Done!

2010-02-19T13:46:00.000+11:00

Yay! All done . . . my first 'half-apron' is in my madeit store. It's always a good feeling when you're happy with the finished product.
I've a feeling i'll be making alot more of these in different fabrics and styles (and maybe some grown-up ones too)

Aren't you glad it's friday . . . . i am!

Have a lovely weekend!

my creative space

2010-02-18T13:18:00.001+11:00

I'm in real apron mode, after a bit of an apron lull. So, of course today i'm working on another. This time it's a half-apron, my first little half-apron.
I'm feeling much more relaxed now, after coming back from being class-helper at the very busy and excitable Prep classroom!
I've had my cup of tea and i'm ready to fire up the sewing machine . . .

My last post shows the finished product of last week's creative space, if you want to see how it turned out.
Join in with My Creative Space too.

Alice Inspired!

2010-02-15T13:58:00.000+11:00

Here's a sneak peak, or should i say big reveal . . . no a tad too dramatic i think! okay then, here's a look at my new apron design, which is as the title of this post promises, very Alice inspired . .

i think she's very cute and fresh looking, especially as she has her own wee apron on ..

no ribbons or lace, just a pretty polka-dot heart this time

She was lots of fun to make (once i went out and purchased a well-behaved blue fabric, that didn't want to share it's colour with everything else)

(in the shop soon)

My Creative Space

2010-02-11T10:31:00.001+11:00

A new apron is in the works! As you can see it's very much at the 'thinking' stage . . . tune in next week for the finished product . . . . I hope.

In the meantime . . . can I tempt you with a scone?

You can whip these up in no time at all -

150ml milk

150ml cream

1 egg

3 cups SR flour

2 tblspns caster sugar

Mix wet ingredients in a bowl, then

Add dry ingredients (mixed together) a little at a time.

Roll out till 2" thick

Cut out and place on a lined baking tray

Oven 200C for 10-15 mins until golden

ps Don't forget to put the kettle on,
then pop over to Kootoyoo to play along and see more creative spaces.

Home Sweet Home

2010-02-04T23:52:00.002+11:00

I haven't been around my blog much lately. Instead I've been revelling in my huge chunks of me time! All my babies are now at school.

It did feel very strange walking them all up to their classrooms. . an out of body experience . . . like everything was happening in fast forward. But I know being a mum means gradually preparing them for their independence and letting them go, and it certainly was wonderful to see them all trot off happily. Especially my baby boy, who's a big boy now. He's really loving school . . . what a relief!

Now I can get sooo much done and i love coming home to a peaceful home. I guess i'm in the light at the end of the tunnel people talk about . . . and i'm really enjoying it! Plus i love seeing them all at the end of the school day and hearing their stories while i feed them up.

Home sweet Home . . . how's the serenity

2010-01-30T11:09:00.001+11:00

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post! It's so wonderful to be connected to all you talented women out there.

This week I've added a few new items to my online store (below). I'm looking forward to adding to it every week and filling it to the brim with stock!

Enjoy your weekend!

My Creative Space

2010-01-28T11:12:00.001+11:00

Is waiting patiently till later!
I still have 3 childer at home, so lots to do and distract till monday (or find the odd quiet spell when I can sit at this table).
I'm feeling so re-energised after the long break from school and our holiday in Tassie and looking forward to creating!
Show us your creative space by playing along here . . . I look forward to taking a nosey at everyone elses spaces!

2010-01-25T12:20:00.001+11:00

It's a beautiful sunny day in Melbourne! We're off to the pool this afternoon and the kids can't wait. It's their last week of freedom before school!

Before I go . . . are you looking for a pretty pouch to store your gadgets, glasses or phone? If that's the case, you may be interested in one of these . . . . . now on sale for $10.00 each . . click here to visit my online store.

Have a lovely day and I hope the weather is gorgeous whereever you are.

Terrific Tassie!

2010-01-18T16:29:00.001+11:00

We had a fantastic holiday in Hobart and the surrounding countryside,

feeding the ducks by the beautiful old bridge in Richmond,

learning about the convict history at Port Arthur (amazing!)

and,

sunny days at the beach

and cuddling lambs.

And we had a trip to the Salamanca Market, which was huge, but I didn't take any photos of that. While I was at the market I called Luisa of Dance in My Garden, who was lovely and came meet me there. We had a fabulous chat! . . . we could've sat there all day chatting if time had allowed. It was so so nice to meet her.

Farewell Tassie! . . . . . I'm sure we'll be back again someday.

Happy Days

2010-01-02T15:28:00.001+11:00

We had such a lovely time together! Relaxing, playing, and reconnecting with the family.

Happy, sunny days!

Happy New Year everyone!

Well Spotted!

2009-12-22T19:46:00.004+11:00

So, if you're familiar with my stuff, you'll know by now that if I see anything spotty I'll probably love it. Well, that I did, when wondering through good old Spotlight last week. Calling out to me from the section with the big rolls of table protectors, was a gorgeous big roll of spotty blue! Not just any blue, a very pretty one I thought . .

It's covering our outside table beautifully,

Here's what I did with the left overs . . . some placemats that really brighten the table and the kids love them.

I really hope they do it in pink or red, that would be perfect!

while I was there I picked up some fabric for 3 Santa Sacks . . well everything was 40 or 50% off, great!

Have a fantastic Christmas everyone and Happy New Year! xxx

Growing Pains

2009-12-19T00:46:00.000+11:00

This week has been bitter-sweet for me. It's been slowly but surely creeping up on me and, here it is . . . my baby boy has grown up. Nothing I can do about that. It's just something I'll have to get used to. But it is hard. Saying good-bye this week at Pre-School was pretty sad. Each of my children (3) have been to the same fantastic Pre-School, so to walk out the door for the last time was pretty hard. They were blessed to have the most wonderful teachers there.

When my eldest daughter was just starting school this wee man was born. In fact, her prep class coincidentally had an excursion to the same hospital at the time and stopped by the ward for a visit! Happy memories. Now my daughter is soon to do her last year of Primary School, my other beautiful son goes on to Grade 3 and that baby boy is starting school! I think I'll need the summer holidays to get used to all of this. It certainly helps to dwell on the positive . . that they are all such healthy, gorgeous, amazing children and it's a blessing to watch them grow.

Spotty Dotty!!

2009-12-14T23:25:00.002+11:00

Lovely to see my Pink Spotty Pouch,

on the Madeit blog under 'Spotty Dotty', along with some other spot loving, creative types . . . and I'm in good company with them . . . some great products. Take a peek.

2009-12-12T23:21:00.001+11:00

Last week this beautiful store opened its doors to the public.! It's full of handmade goodies and I'm so pleased that my Little Eve products are among them.

Doesn't it look like a lovely place to shop? If you happen to be in Wollongong here's how to find it,

Let me know what you think, if you do happen to have the good fortune to drop in.

My Creative Space

2009-12-10T14:55:00.001+11:00

Well, my sister is very keen to have a matching cushion . . . to go with her birthday cushion. I've only just got enough of the same gorgeous fabric to get the job done . . .so no room for error . . . scary!

it's a beautiful silk fabric by Laura Ashley, a remnant I picked up earlier this year . .

So, that was about 2 hours ago,

and after a few 'you've got to be kidding me!' moments when I really thought I'd done my dash . .

Yippee!

wish I could keep it!

(pop over to Kootoyoo for more creative spaces)

2009-12-07T17:01:00.001+11:00

Hi everyone . . . hope the Christmas preparations are ticking along nicely. We have our tree and decorations up, turkey ordered and most presents bought. Usually I'm a bit last minute on the Christmas front so I'm very happy about how things are going this year. I do have some baking to do, but I'm actually looking forward to that. I love filling the house with the smell of Christmas pudding and gingerbread! and the kids love it too of course.

Two lovely things arrived in the post this week for me!

A few items from Polka Dot Rabbit that I was lucky enough to win in a giveaway!

and,

Some gorgeous fabrics by the very, very talented Tanya Whelan to spoil me and keep me inspired . . . they're so very pretty.

Good luck with your own Christmas preparations! I hope they're going well!?

2009-12-04T19:28:00.002+11:00

ROLL UP! ROLL UP! . . . I hearby declare *FREE SHIPPING Australia wide at my LITTLE EVE MADEIT STORE! December only (in light of the fact that it's Christmas). *Cushions not included

So if you're looking for something spotty, floral or pretty, then stop by for a browse. . .

See you there!

Something for me!

2009-12-03T15:26:00.000+11:00

You know how there's always something you put off doing, well today I did that something that I've been wanting to for ages!

A lovely off-cut of fabric for $10 from Laura Ashley and some soft, red, velvety fabric came together nicely (with a little help from yours truly) to make these . . .

Some plush, cushiony loveliness to snuggle up to with a strong cup of tea . . . later!

Hello . . . December?

2009-11-30T09:14:00.001+11:00

Well, I don't know about you, but ? ? where did November go?!

I think I must've caught a case of lazy sewer-itis this past month and let the days just drift on by.

So now that the November rug has been pulled from under my feet, I'm ready and eager to get sewing again (between Christmas shopping, baking and decorating . . . I won't be going over the top with these things though). . .I'll have to leave the day-dreaming and time-wasting to Ollie . . . for now anyway!

2009-11-26T23:33:00.000+11:00

Love this fabric giveaway at Retro Mummy. So pretty!

2009-11-23T13:37:00.001+11:00

Well it's good to be all connected up again! Our phone line had to be taken down to allow the removal of some very ugly, old, dangerously hovering over our house, trees. So most of the job has been done and our house is alot brighter and safer for it!

These men are fearless . . . so high I couldn't watch!

We had a few gum trees that hang over our house removed and some huge cypresses like this one below, from across the front of our block.

Now this won't happen to us again . . ..

A scary time in Winter '07. Nobody was hurt, but we shook in our boots everytime it got windy again. Not anymore though! So when the land is cleared and tidied up, and we have a new picket fence (we're feeling very exposed without the trees), we want to plant some fruit trees. I've always wanted to have my own lemon, fig and apple tree and now that the sun can reach our garden it's possible! Thank you to Mr Les McKeown for the amazing job his crew did in removing those enormous trees safely.

2009-11-18T13:27:00.002+11:00

Hi everyone! I'm offline for a few days . . . . back soon I hope.

Going North

2009-11-12T15:13:00.001+11:00

Some of my prettiest purses are migrating north today, just in time for the Handmade Expo Market on 21 November. Which stall? . . . the 'Handmade Heaven' debut stall where you'll find the lovely Liesa.

and to keep them company on the trip, I whipped up some rose polka-dot (of course!) napkins,

before you go,

take a look at Samone's blog (aka Red Letter Studio),

you'll find a post about a new store opening in Wollongong called 'Milk Thieves Art & Design' and an opportunity to become a part of it. You'll find some Little Eve products on the shelves when it opens!

Bye!

2009-11-08T13:28:00.010+11:00

Some photos of my market stall yesterday. Boy, it was pretty hot in there! I met some really lovely people there, such as Fiona, creator of Squirt Baby, Jody, creator of 'The Haby Goddess' and 'Poss Bloss', Susannah of 'Susannah Tucker Photography' and 'Elly Oak' with her lovely screen printed stationery and tea-towels. All very friendly and encouraging too!

My daughter, behind the cushions here, was a great help and wonderful company for the day.

2009-11-06T14:32:00.001+11:00

Thank you to Liesa of Handmade Heaven for posting some great photos of my Little Eve re-stock at her great wee shop in Ipswich! Lovely photos.

My Very First Market!

2009-11-05T09:54:00.002+11:00

Come along to the Sister's Market for a visit this Saturday 7th Nov at Brunswick Town Hall, and be sure to say 'hi' at my Little Eve stall. Click here to see some of the other stallholders . . . . . . it's a Teeny Tiny affair! See you there!

2009-11-02T10:16:00.001+11:00

A beautiful sunny day in Melbourne today. I'm so glad I went on the school camp on Thurs and Fri last week. Lots of fun on the beach and at the camp. Not much sleep though, so good to be well rested now.

'Just up to the knees' quickly became almost soaked from head to toe . .

making damper with firewood gathered the night before was lots of fun.

2009-10-22T20:39:00.006+11:00

Look! . . . . there's even a bit of green creeping in. Having alot of fun making these wee cushions.

Just wanted to add a link to a lovely blog that's throwing a Cath Kidson party. Some lovely photos there and I'm sure with those that are playing along, such as the lovely Suzie at Itch2Stitch. Go on take a peek!

Cushiony loveliness

2009-10-19T14:01:00.000+11:00

Had a lovely weekend celebrating a 1st birthday and being fed by friends (no cooking - yeah!). So today I finally got round to it . . . . actually sewing that thing I've been mentally sewing for weeks. Dosed up on Codral and ready to sew I got started . . . .

and made a lovely wee cushion (the first of possibly many for Little Eve) . . .this one I plan to sell at the Sister's Market in November.

She's small and sweet (14"x14), made with fabric by Tanya Whelan, who I'm now a huge fan of.

Just before you go . . . . how much would you pay for such an item? Thanks!

2009-10-12T13:22:00.001+11:00

The children are safely and unwillingly reinstated back at school (yes, they get 3 weeks off?!) and I can now indulge in blogging, sewing and some peace and quiet. It certainly was interesting - we swam, went to the movies, saw some friends, walked, played, crafted and watched TV . . . and had lots of lazy mornings. All good stuff! My daughter and I discovered an amazing fabric shop that's like an Aladdin's Cave of fabric etc, amazing! It's called 'Patchwork by Gail B'. I've driven passed it so many times and meant to go in. So I'm glad I finally have. Now I know where to go for a reliable source of practically all the fabrics that I love. I highly recommend that you have a look yourself if you're in the area (it's on Canterbury Road, just passed Spotlight, in the direction of Montrose). I really found it hard to tear myself away from the place.

Still in love with polka dots and ric rac!

2009-10-02T21:24:00.000+10:00

New Crimson with Polka-Dots Pencil case ready to buy in my Madeit shop!

New Pencil Case

2009-09-29T18:43:00.002+10:00

You can now pick up a new pretty Polka-Dot Pencil Case (always a very useful item) in my Little Eve Madeit Store.

Little Eve in Handmade Heaven

2009-09-25T11:51:00.004+10:00

Exciting news! Little Eve products are now available in store at the beautiful Handmade Heaven retail outlet, Ipswich. So if you're in the area pop in for a look. You'll find this lovely shop in The Old Flour Mill, a Heritage listed building. For more about the shop and some photos of the Little Eve goodies in store visit the Handmade Heaven blog.

2009-09-24T13:45:00.001+10:00

Yay! I have a visual on my 'Friends of Little Eve' again! I guess I better get used to a temperamental blog?

2009-09-23T21:05:00.000+10:00

Just a wee note to say that my 'followers' are not showing up on my blog or via my dashboard. So if you have recently clicked to follow my blog, thank you! and I hope one day soon you'll register on my blog. Does anyone else have this happen?

2009-09-22T18:41:00.010+10:00

Part of the reason I started a blog, was to have a place to record my creative endeavours. So I guess I better do just that, ocassionally. . . . .

Today was a bit too wet and muddy for the planned farm visit, so that's been postponed till a later date. Instead, we went indoors and watched the movie 'UP' with our 'won in a raffle' tickets. It was a very sweet, fun, wee adventure movie and a lovely time was had by all.

Cats and Dogs

2009-09-21T16:53:00.003+10:00

Welcome to the school holidays everyone! Great to have good weather to lure the children outdoors for the first day.

We took a walk to the local park after lunch, with our dog Flynn and the kids on their bikes. We were followed home by a runaway dog, who thought it would be fun to terrorise our cat, who, climbed as high up a tree as I've ever seen him go! We called the dog's owner (luckily the stray had a tag) but got no answer. So we did the responsible thing and walked her back home. This was a very slow process with my youngest child dragging his heels, but we got the job done and returned home eventually to find Ollie reinstated on the deck and Flynn alot calmer. How Ollie got down from that tree is beyond me, but I'm so glad he did. I didn't fancy having to call anyone to get him down - who do you call anyway?

So lots of exercise and excitement was had by all. Tomorrow we're off to Collingwood Farm . . . . . . . . more fun and games with animals and children .

Keeping Cosy

2009-09-17T12:02:00.008+10:00

This is why I love Melbourne . . . . . beautiful one day, bucketing the next . .

perfect weather for Ollie to curl up on the deck,

and for me to package an order for a certain retail store in Queensland . . . more about that soon!

Hope you're all keeping cosy.

It's Tuesday and I Can't Wait

2009-09-15T10:10:00.007+10:00

. . . . to feel better! Nothing major, just a rotten cold. The energy levels are low so it looks like I'll have to take it easy today.

and

. . . . to finish making an Egyptian princess costume Sarah needs for school tomorrow . . something very simple with white cotton and gold. Wish me luck!

to play 'it's tuesday and I can't' wait visit Buttons By Lou Lou

It's Tuesday and I Can't Wait . . .

2009-09-08T10:30:00.004+10:00

. . . . To build up my stockpile of aprons and pouches. There aren't enough hours in the day sometimes (all the time really!). Last night I was busy cutting out fabric for aprons and so today I just have to sew! Sewing and designing are definitely the fun bits. It's bucketing down outside, so perfect sewing weather.

. . . . Also looking forward to school holidays in a couple of weeks!

(Had a really lovely birthday on the weekend. Spoiled with lots of presents, including a huge Spotlight voucher, lucky me!!).

To join in with 'it's Tuesday and I can't Wait' go to buttons by lou lou

It's Tuesday . . . .

2009-09-01T15:09:00.010+10:00

. . . . . and I can't wait till Sunday when it's my birthday !! (I know I'll have to share it with my husband . . . what can you do!)

. . . . . and I can't wait to put these new creations into my shop . . .

To play 'it's Tuesday and I can't wait' visit Buttons By Lou Lou

Tea for Two

2009-08-30T19:23:00.003+10:00

Thanks to Maddo for including my Little Eve Raspberrry Napkins in her

Tea for Two Treasury!

Beautiful Kelani Fabric

2009-08-28T12:28:00.005+10:00

I'm having a wonderful child-free sewing day! Thought I would just stop for a while and show you this gorgeous fabric from Kelani Fabric which arrived today. Isn't it so pretty. The quality is really good - can't wait to do something with it. Have a great weekend everyone!

New Monday

2009-08-24T17:08:00.002+10:00

The start of another week already. Time for a new banner I thought . . . . .this ones a wee bit cosier. . . something to mop up any tea you might spill (if you're anything like me), or any stray crumbs! Have a lovely week!

Ruby-Blue Mobile Pouch

2009-08-21T16:36:00.003+10:00

New in my Etsy store today! This is my fav fabric of the moment.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Short back and sides

2009-08-20T22:18:00.003+10:00

Had a lovely day with my baby boy (I know he's 5, but he's still my baby). Tomorrow is a big day for him as it's kinder photos day. So off we went today for a hair cut and a hot chocolate after for a treat. Later he had a one on one with his soon to be prep teacher. She told me afterwards how ready he is for school and how he wrote his name with his left hand, then did his cutting out with his right hand . . . confusing? Anyway, the main thing is that he's enthusiastic and can't wait to get started . . . or in his words, 'I'm super, duper excited to start school!'.

It's Tuesday and I Can't Wait

2009-08-18T14:39:00.009+10:00

.....to tell you about lovely Anna of Koko Vanilla Designs who wrote some lovely words about me in her blog and inspired me to put another Mobile Phone Pouch in my Etsy shop. Oh, and make one for myself too!

and

... to give my husband his birthday presents when he comes home from work tonight.

To Play It's Tuesday and I Can't Wait visit Buttons By Lou Lou

Giveaway Winner!

2009-08-17T10:09:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to Luisa from sunny Hobart. I'll be in touch very soon!
Thanks to everyone else who entered.

Giveaway tomorrow!

2009-08-16T15:57:00.003+10:00

Today is your last chance if you want to be in the draw!

2009-08-13T14:01:00.005+10:00

Yeah! I don't have to wait anymore. I was so excited to open the package! I'm really thrilled with these mini moo cards . . . . . . they're exactly what I'd imagined, only better quality. What do you think?

It's Tuesday and I Can't Wait for.....

2009-08-11T09:39:00.011+10:00

1. My Mini Moo cards to arrive ...... still!
and
2. To announce the winner of my first giveaway next Monday!

If you'd like to play 'It's Tuesday and I Can't Wait' visit Buttons By Lou Lou blog

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

2009-08-09T00:38:00.012+10:00

Thanks so much to Melinda of Here We Go Loopy Lou, creator of gorgeous stationery and wall art, for featuring me on her Monday Mention this week.

To mark the occasion I'm having my first Blog Giveaway!

To enter please visit my Etsy Shop and heart your fav item, then leave a comment here with your email address before midnight Sunday 16th.

You could be the winner of a cute 'Little Miss Cupcakes' apron!' A lovely gift for some lucky little girl that you know.

THE WINNER ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY 17th AUGUST

Friday's Fragrance

2009-08-07T11:17:00.002+10:00

Freedom, fun, playfulness, faraway places, adventures, escape, holidays, days out with the family . . . . . . . the smell of the Ocean!

Buttons by lou lou

2009-08-05T11:11:00.003+10:00

Guess who's featuring some of my Little Eve Pouches on her blog . . Buttons by lou lou . . click on the title above for a look. Buttons by lou lou is the place to go for gorgeous, beautifully made buttons . . . I love them!